


Empathy

by loki_avalon



Category: Katekyou Hitman Reborn!
Genre: BAMF Sawada Nana, Because it's fanfiction and I can, Gen, Iemitsu your wife knows, M/M, NOT oblivious Sawada Nana, Nana threatening Reborn with her frying pan, Reborn is an adult, You are so fucked, empath!Tsuna, in fact all the Arcobaleno will be adults, mentions of bullying and attempted suicide, unforseen side-effects of sealing
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-13
Updated: 2018-11-24
Packaged: 2019-07-11 16:33:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,851
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15976184
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/loki_avalon/pseuds/loki_avalon
Summary: *Title may change*When Reborn came to tutor Sawada Tsunayoshi, he thought he would be teaching a no-good student and dealing with an oblivious housewife. Instead, he found a very perceptive housewife that has the aura of a hit-woman, and a boy that's been suffering from an unexpected side effect of having his flames sealed when he was five years old.





	1. Sawada Nana's Test

**Author's Note:**

> DISCLAIMER
> 
> This is one of my attempts to get back into writing. College sucked the fun out of writing for me, and I haven't been able to bring myself to write for pleasure since 2014. Please bear with me while I try to find my writing groove again.
> 
> I have other stories I'm working on, but I have so many ideas and stories inspired by other works bouncing around in my head that I kind of have to just go where my inspiration takes me...Even if that means starting a whole new story.
> 
> I can't promise any sort of scheduled updates. I could update multiple times in one day, or two or three months may go by before I post another chapter. As I'm trying to get back into my writing groove, chapters most likely won't be very long. I want each chapter to be at least between 500 - 1500 words, but we'll see how things go.

Reborn had expected many things when he first rang the doorbell to the Sawada residence. He expected confusion, denial, and a little fear. What he didn’t expect was the look of utter terror and horror that crossed Sawada Tsunayoshi’s face when the brunette teen first looked at him.

 

Now, don’t get Reborn wrong. He was a Hitman, and it was nice to know even a clueless civilian teenager could sense how dangerous he was. But he hadn’t done anything even remotely hostile or threatening ( _yet_ ), yet the kid was looking at him like Reborn was about to brutally murder him on the spot. Something about the pure fear in those eyes rubbed Reborn the wrong way. He hadn’t done anything ( _yet_ ) to warrant such an expression.

 

In an effort to ease the tension mounting between him and Tsunayoshi, Reborn reached out his hand to flick Tsunayoshi on the forehead. However, before he could even get his hand close enough, the teen squawked and quickly moved his head away from Reborn’s hand. Then, trembling, the brunette turned around and practically sprinted away from Reborn and the open front door. Reborn was left standing there, his hand held in mid-air, fingers poised to flick a forehead that was no longer there.

 

 _What the hell was that about?_ Reborn couldn't help wondering as he lowered his hand back to his side. A moment later, a smiling, petite, brown haired woman came to the door and said, “Ara! Hello! Is there something I can help you with?”

 

“Chaos. My name is Reborn. You are Sawada Nana, correct?” Reborn introduced himself.

 

“Yes, that’s me,” the young mother smiled and  chirped. “How can I help you Reborn-san?”

 

“I was asked by Sawada Iemitsu to act as a home tutor for your son, Sawada Tsunayoshi,” Reborn said. He was about to continue when he saw a sharpness enter the eyes of the woman before him. Now, instead of a harmless housewife, Reborn felt like he was looking at a fellow predator. He could see Nana analyzing every part of him, her grip on the door tightening when she finally concluded that the person in front of her was dangerous.

 

Then, just as quickly as it had appeared, the analyzing look in Nana’s eyes vanished, replaced with friendly but cautious kindness.

 

“That’s so thoughtful of Iemitsu,” Nana began, “However, I think his information is a little out of date. Tsu-kun’s grades are actually quite good at the moment.”

 

 _Of course. It figures_. Reborn heaved a mental sigh. _I knew the man wasn’t close to his wife and son, but this is just ridiculous_. _He doesn’t even know how his son is doing in school._

 

“I see…” Reborn said. “He contracted me to be Tsunayoshi’s tutor against room and board.”

 

“Oh?” The sharp look had returned to Nana’s eyes. “I’m so sorry. Iemitsu must’ve forgotten to call and tell me about it. Do you have other accommodations available?”

 

“Unfortunately, no. Since I assumed Iemitsu had called ahead, I thought a room would be ready for me here,” Reborn replied. The calculating look didn’t disappear from Nana’s eyes.

 

The brunette woman looked Reborn over one more time, before she pushed the door open and stepped to the side. “Well, why don’t you come in for now?”

 

“Thank you,” Reborn said, taking off his fedora as he stepped into the house. “I apologize for the inconvenience.”

 

“Oh, nonsense, Reborn-san!” Nana smiled at him. She still had the sharp look in her eyes, but something about the smile made it look softer. Like Reborn was acknowledging that this was her territory, and he would be a guest in her territory as long as he remained polite and as unthreatening as possible…Which wasn’t easy when you’re the World’s Greatest Hitman. “Please, come sit at the kitchen table. Would you like anything to drink?”

 

“Some coffee, please, if you have any,” The hitman responded. Nana nodded at him and went about making Reborn a cup of coffee and herself a cup of tea.

 

“So, Reborn,” Nana began, as she set down a mug of coffee in front of the hitman, and took the seat directly across from him. “What are you really here for? I find it far fetched that someone as esteemed as yourself would agree to being a tutor for a civilian child.”

 

Reborn froze for half a second, before he took a sip of his coffee. As he set the mug down, he said, “ You know.”

 

There was no accusation in his tone, and he kept his voice neutral.

 

“More or less,” Nana said, airily. “I don’t know everything, or any real specifics, but I do know my husband's job is, more or less, illegal. Construction workers don’t make in a year what Iemitsu deposits into our joint checking account every month.”

 

Well, that changed things quite a bit. Reborn took another sip of the coffee. He was reasonably certain that Nana was a good enough hostess not to poison him until he did something she viewed as a threat to her or her son.

 

“I don’t particularly want to know the details of Iemitsu’s job, but I would appreciate it if you leveled with me, Reborn-san. What do you want with my son?”

 

Reborn would need to phrase his next few sentences very carefully. If Nana thought, even for a minute, that Reborn was going to cause harm to her son…well, let’s just say the kitchen knives were a little too close to Nana for comfort.

 

“It’s true I was asked by Iemitsu to tutor Tsunayoshi,” Reborn began. “However, I’m also contracted to tutor him in the things necessary to become the head of the organization your husband works for.”

 

“Is that so?” Nana said, voice neutral, though Reborn could detect the undertones of ice and steel. The small sense of welcoming Reborn had seen in her eyes previously, had completely disappeared. Nana’s eyes were once again cold and calculating. “And why would you need my son to become the head of an illegal organization? Are there no other heirs?”

 

“…Not anymore. The current head of the organization had three sons, all of whom are deceased,” Reborn revealed. He paused, then continued on, “I won’t tell you how they died. Let’s just say none of their deaths were pleasant.”

 

”Go on.”

 

“There was a fourth son, however it was discovered that he is not blood related to the current head.”

 

“And why does blood relation matter in regard to inheriting the role of the head of this organization?”

 

“I’m still learning the specifics, but as I understand it, the first head somehow locked inheriting the boss position with his bloodline. Only those of his bloodline are able to become the heads of the organization,” Reborn explained.

 

“And how does my son fit into this?” Nana asked. Reborn could see her white-knuckled grip on her tea cup. If she gripped it any tighter, she was going to break the cup.

 

“Tsunayoshi is a direct descendant of the first head, through his father, your husband,” Reborn  explained. “Before you ask, Iemitsu is ineligible to take up the position due to the position he currently occupies within the organization. Once he accepted his current position, he forfeited any claim he had on the head position.”

 

“So, my Tsu-kun is the last viable heir…” Nana concluded. Reborn nodded. “Interesting. Now, tell me Reborn-san, why should I let you anywhere near my son, if all you’re going to do is tutor him to become a criminal?”

 

“I wouldn’t be tutoring him to become a criminal…at least, not exactly. It’s the hope of the current head that Tsuna might bring the organization back to its roots,” Reborn began. Nana tilted her head, indicating for Reborn to continue. “The first head founded the organization during a time a conflict and corruption. He created the organization to act as a pseudo-police force. A vigilante organization, if you will. The first head founded the organization to protect those that could not protect themselves, to prevent criminals from harming civilians. Over the decades, this purpose has been twisted, and the organization fell farther and farther into illegal activities.”

 

Nana took a sip of her tea and Reborn took another sip of his coffee.

 

“The current leader of this organization, his name wouldn’t happen to be Timoteo, would it?”

 

“It is,” Reborn answered, caught off guard by the question. The temperature in the kitchen suddenly seemed to drop. If Reborn were a lesser man, he would have shivered. The _KI_ coming off Sawada Nana was as impressive as it was terrifying. “Sawada-san? Is something the matter?”

 

“When Tsu-kun was five, Iemitsu brought his boss to visit. He introduced the man as Timoteo. They stayed for exactly one week. On the last day, Tsu-kun was startled by the neighbor’s chihuahua. I heard him crying, and rushed outside to comfort him,” Nana paused to take a deep breath and another small sip of tea. “When I reached my son, he was passed out in Iemitsu’s arms, and Timoteo was hovering over them both. Tsuna ended up sleeping for the remainder of the visit. When my son finally awoke, he was different.”

 

“Different how?”

 

“You recall how Tsu-kun reacted to you when he opened the front door to greet you?”

 

“I do,” Reborn nodded.

 

“Whatever Timoteo did to my son that day when he was five, is the reason he reacted to you the way he did today,” Nana said. Reborn waited for her to continue. When Nana continued to remain silent, he finally spoke.

 

“I’m not sure what you mean.”

 

“My son used to have excellent instincts. He subconsciously knew when something or someone was dangerous. Whatever Iemitsu’s boss did cut Tsuna off from those instincts,” Nana began explaining. “In order to compensate for that loss, Tsuna developed an empathy disorder…Or so the doctors say. In reality, my son became what I suppose you could call a passive empath with some telepathic ability. He can feel other people’s emotions as if they were his own. He can sense people’s malicious intent, when someone’s happy, when they’re sad, when they’re afraid – Tsuna can sense all of it. And if someone touches him, not only are the emotions intensified, but he can see memories and hear thoughts that hold strong emotions.”

 

Reborn couldn’t help but be surprised by the information Nana was revealing to him. That wasn’t something you told someone who is practically a stranger.

 

“You seem surprised that I’m telling you this,” Nana commented, a hint of a smile making its way back onto her face. Her eyes were still cold, but something about Reborn’s reaction seemed to lessen the wall of ice and steel she’d thrown up when he revealed that Timoteo was the boss of the organization her husband worked for. And while he would normally be put off that a civilian managed to read him so easily, in this case he would give it a pass. Nana may be a civilian, but she was definitely not normal or average by any means.

 

“Because I am,” Reborn replied. “It doesn’t seem like the kind of thing you’d reveal to someone you’d just met, and certainly don’t trust.”

 

“Honesty for honesty, Reborn-san,” Nana said, eyes warming up slightly again. “You’ve been honest with me about why you were sent here, so I’ve been honest with you. A fair trade, wouldn’t you say?”

 

“I suppose…” Reborn said. He couldn’t help feeling like he’d just passed some test of Nana’s. _Honesty for honesty, huh…_

 

“I’m glad you agree,” Nana said. “While I don’t agree with Iemitsu and Timoteo’s one-sided decision regarding my son’s future, I am willing to let you be around my son…for now, at least.”

 

“Thank you,” Reborn said, nodding his head. Nana smiled at him in a strangely familiar way, but said nothing as she gathered up the empty coffee mug in front of Reborn and her empty tea cup, and placed them in the sink.

 

“I wouldn’t thank me yet, Reborn-san. I said **I** was willing to let you be around my son,” Nana said. Reborn tilted his head in question at Nana. “I never said that Tsu-kun was willing to let you be around him.”

 

 _Ah, damn._ Reborn thought. _Now I know why that smile looks so familiar. It’s the same smile I have when I’m about to indulge in my sadistic side._

 

“You’ve passed my test – the first of many. But it’s not just my tests you have to pass,” Nana said, her smile turning into something more like a smirk. “Tsuna’s tests will be much harder to pass than mine. Good luck, Reborn-san.”


	2. Ground Rules

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some of Tsuna and Nana's history, and Nana lays out the ground rules for Reborn to follow when interacting with her son.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *READ THIS NOTE*
> 
> So, I'm not too sure how to do this, but possible trigger warning in this chapter. There are mentions of bullying and attempted suicide. Please be cautious as you read this chapter.

“Well, I suppose I should go properly introduce myself to Tsunayoshi,” Reborn said, standing from the kitchen chair he’d been sitting in.

 

“Not just yet, Reborn-san,” Nana said, making Reborn pause. “There are  a few things we still have to discuss.”

 

“Oh?”

 

“Yes. Please sit back down,” Nana said as she sat in the chair across the table from Reborn. Reborn looks at Nana for a moment, before sighing and sitting back down in the chair he’d just vacated.

 

“So, what else do we need to discuss, Sawada-san?” Reborn asked.

 

“Ground rules,” Nana replied.

 

“Ground rules?”

 

“Yes,” Nana confirmed and nodded her head. “There are certain rules you need to follow when around my son.”

 

“Okay. What are these rules?”

 

“Number one , you are absolutely not to touch your bare skin to his. As I told you before, when someone touches Tsu-kun, his empathy is intensified, and he can hear thoughts and see memories that hold strong emotions of the person touching him,” Nana explained. “To prevent this from happening, Tsuna wears long sleeve turtle necks and long pants. He also wears gloves. Unfortunately, it’s not always one hundred percent effective, but it has cut down on the number of incidents when Tsuna goes out.”

 

“What about during summer? As I recall, summers in Japan can be brutally hot. Tsunayoshi can’t possibly wear long sleeves during that time,” Reborn questioned.

 

“During the summer, Tsuna tries to avoid going anywhere during peak times when foot traffic is at its heaviest. This usually means he goes out in the early morning and late evening or night,” Nana replied.

 

“How does that effect his schooling?”

 

“Tsu-kun doesn’t go to school. He’s enrolled in an online school,” Nana replied. “He has been since mid-way through his first year of junior high school.”

 

“I don’t mean to offend you, but why?” Reborn asked. “His…condition must already make him socially awkward. Surely, pulling him from school with other kids his age will only exacerbate that social awkwardness.”

 

“When Tsuna was in his first year of junior high, he tried to kill himself,” Nana said. Reborn could hear the slight quiver in her voice. “The school had a strict dress code, and Tsuna was forced to wear the short sleeve shirt that was part of the uniform.”

 

Reborn sucked in a breath. He had a sinking feeling about where this story was headed.

 

“As you said, Tsuna’s condition already makes him awkward in social situations. The other students sensed this and zeroed in on him as the preferred bullying victim. First it was words, but eventually it became physical. They would kick him, hit him, grab him roughly…my son was tormented every day,” Nana continued on. “As you can imagine, being jostled by students with malicious intent every single day took a severe toll on Tsuna’s mental stability.”

 

Reborn nodded and waited for Nana to continue.

 

“The thing you need to know, is that the bullying didn’t just start when Tsuna entered junior high. Tsuna was bullied throughout his primary school years as well, but his primary school didn’t have the same strict dress code. Tsuna was able to wear long sleeves, so skin to skin contact was rarer. The few times it did happen, Tsuna and I were able to work through it. But when he started middle school and was forced to wear the short sleeve shirt…Constantly being passively attacked by the malicious intent of his peers and teachers was already threatening Tsuna’s mental stability. When his tormentors grabbed him now, Tsuna could feel their emotions regarding him as if they were his own.” The quiver in Nana’s voice had gotten stronger. She paused to take a deep breath before continuing on. “I know Tsu-kun tried to ignore the emotions he was receiving from others, that logically he knew their feelings weren’t his feelings, but it eventually became too much for him to deal with. I tried to help, but at that time, we were still trying to work out a balance between each other. Reborn-san, I couldn’t even hug my beloved baby boy to offer him comfort when he needed it the most.”

 

“What do you mean?”

 

“You’re familiar with The Hedgehog’s Dilemma?”

 

“I am,” Reborn confirmed.

 

“In order to comfort Tsuna, I would have to touch him. But by touching him, he would be forced to experience my emotions – my sadness, helplessness, frustration…In the same way, Tsuna wanted to be comforted by me, but he also knew that it upsets me when he knows I’m angry or sad. We both wanted to be there for the other, we just couldn’t quite figure out how to do so, without inflicting even more harm on each other,” Nana explained, then paused to take a shuddering breath. “We’ve since found a balance between us, and our parent-child relationship is stronger than it ever was.”

 

“I’m glad to hear that,” Reborn said sincerely.

 

“Thank you,” Nana said, giving Reborn a wobbly smile. “Now, Tsuna put up with the bullying and the inability to seek comfort from me for his entire primary schooling and about six months of his first year in middle school. The inner strength my son displayed was truly amazing, Reborn-san. I’m certain that grown men twice his age, wouldn’t have been able to continue getting up again and again, knowing what they were going to suffer…But, Tsuna was still just a young boy. Even he had his breaking point. He still won’t tell me what triggered his decision to commit suicide, but six months into his first year at middle school, he tried to take his life. I’m thankful every day that he survived, but when he first woke up in the hospital, I could see the absolute despair in his eyes. His determination was slowly being snuffed out. I made the decision then to pull him from school and enrolled him in an online academy, and I don’t regret doing it. When Tsuna wasn’t living in constant fear of his tormentors, he started to thrive academically. Instead of a constant stream of failing grades, he now gets scores ranging from seventy-five points to ninety-five points. He still struggles from time to time, but he manages to push through it.

 

“Additionally, not having to worry about going to a physical school gave Tsuna the chance to research and practice methods of relaxation and meditation to mitigate the effects of his empathy. It’s still incredibly strong, but Tsuna has found a way to untangle his emotions from other peoples,” Nana said, a small, sad smile gracing her face. “However, the damage was already done. Tsuna was traumatized by what he experienced back then. His first reaction now is to run away from socializing with others, because he believes it will only bring him even more pain. He rarely leaves the house, and when he does, it’s during hours when very few people are out and about.”

 

There was an awkward, depressing silence for a moment, before Nana spoke again.

 

“Anyways, ground rules. One, don’t touch Tsuna’s bare skin. Two, respect the initial boundaries he sets up with you. Three, let Tsuna get to know you, and wait for him to approach you. If you come on too aggressively, you’ll just traumatize him further. Four, you will discuss any lessons or plans you want to implement with Tsuna and me first, before going ahead with them. Five, if you hurt my son – physically or mentally – I will not hesitate to bash your head in with my best cast-iron skillet,” Nana listed off the five ground rules, the sweet smile on her face, and the ice in her eyes clashed marvelously to create a very frightening image. Reborn could just picture Nana beating him over the head with her best cast-iron skillet with a smile on her face. He held back the shudder that threatened to run down his spine. Nana spoke again, “Do you agree to these ground rules, Reborn-san?”

 

“…I do,” Reborn replied.

 

“Wonderful!” Nana chirped at him, her eyes and smile now warm and sunny. “Then let’s head upstairs and introduce you to Tsu-kun properly.”

 

“Thank you, Sawada-san.”

 

“Oh, no need to be so formal,” Nana said, with a light giggle. “Just Nana is fine.”

 

“…Nana-san, then,” Reborn decided.

 

“Well, come along Reborn-san,” Nana said, standing and heading for the stairs that led up to the second floor. “You and Tsu-kun need to be properly introduced to each other!”

 

Reborn didn’t reply to that as he stood up and followed Nana out of the kitchen and up the stairs. His mind was mulling over all the information he’d just received. There was only one thing he could conclude at this point: This was going to be the most challenging assignment of his entire life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is shorter than the first one, but I feel like I left it a a good stopping place. Next chapter will finally have Reborn and Tsuna interacting...or, at least, attempting to.


	3. Twenty Questions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I want to thank everyone for the comments, kudos and subscriptions! I'm so happy to know this story has been well received! ❤️

“Nana-san, what is the range on Tsunayoshi’s empathy?” Reborn asked.

 

“Range?” Nana repeated, pausing at the top of the stairs.

 

“Yes, range,” Reborn said. “How far away can he feel people’s emotions?”

 

“…I’m not sure I can answer that question accurately, Reborn-san,” Nana replied. “I know that Tsu-kun can sense emotions for quite a distance, but the farther away the person is, the less strong the sensation. However, there are exceptions to that. For instance, Tsu-kun once told me he could sense my emotions even though I was more than 20 miles away from Namimori, as evidenced by him calling my cell phone when he sensed a rise in my fear. I suppose that’s something Tsu-kun will have to articulate to you himself.”

 

“That’s fair,” Reborn said, nodding his head in agreement. He could understand that. Neither he nor Nana could understand exactly what it was like to be an empath. It stood to reason, Reborn would have to get a better explanation from Tsunayoshi. “I suppose we’ll start off at 10.”

 

“Ten what, Reborn-san?”

 

“Ten feet,” The hitman replied. “We’ll start off with 10 feet of distance between Tsunayoshi and me. Hopefully, that’ll be enough of a buffer between us so Tsunayoshi doesn’t get overwhelmed by my emotions. As he acclimatizes to my presence, we’ll shrink down the distance.”

 

“So long as Tsu-kun agrees to that, it sounds like a good plan,” Nana commented. Her smile turned sharp for a moment as she spoke again, “Just remember ground rules two and five, Reborn-san.”

 

“Of course.”

 

“Reborn-san, I can tell this must be difficult for you,” Nana said.

 

“Difficult for me?” Reborn repeated, raising an eyebrow at Nana.

 

“Yes, difficult for you,” Nana nodded, affirming her previous words. “You’re clearly the ‘tough love’ type of teacher. I’m asking you to suppress your natural instinct towards teaching, and take a much gentler approach.”

 

“…I won’t deny that my usual style is to use tough love,” Reborn responded carefully. “But it’s not totally impossible for me to be gentle…”

 

“Of course, Reborn-san,” Nana said. “And I recognize that eventually some pushing will be necessary to help Tsu-kun move forward, but that can’t happen before Tsuna actually feels comfortable with you. If he’s pushed now…I’m afraid he might break completely.”

 

“I suppose it’ll be a learning experience for all of us,” Reborn said. Nana just gave him a small smile and continued down the hall. She stopped in from of a plain brown door with a blue, hanging name plate in the shape of a tuna. It didn’t have a name on it, but the indicator was clear enough to know whose room it was.

 

“Tsu-kun?” Nana called, knocking on the door gently. Her voice was steady but soft, like she was trying to soothe a spooked animal. “Tsu-kun, I’ve talked with Reborn-san, and it’s safe. He’s agreed to the ground rules. Can I open the door?”

 

“…” At first, Reborn thought Tsunayoshi wasn’t going to reply, but then he heard a soft thump and a faint voice called out, “…Okay. You can open the door.”

 

“Thank you, Tsu-kun,” Nana replied, and opened the door. Reborn stepped forward, so he was entirely visible in the doorframe, but didn’t move to enter the room. He spotted Tsuna, sitting in front of the window, pressing himself as far back into the window as he dared. Nana just smiled softly at her son and spoke. “It’s alright, Tsu-kun. Reborn-san has agreed not to get too close to you without your permission first.”

 

Tsuna flicked his eyes from his mother to the hitman standing in his doorway. The brunet could tell the man was trying to hold back his emotions as much as possible, so as not to make Tsuna anymore uncomfortable than he already was.

 

“Tsu-kun, I’d like it if you could give Reborn-san a chance, please,” Nana said, still smiling, though it was becoming strained by the prolonged silence from her son.

 

“…Okay, Mom,” Tsuna finally spoke. He nodded his head in acceptance. At that, Nana’s smile brightened once again. Tsuna flashed a small smile at his mother, then turned to Reborn. The hitman didn’t move, letting the brunet appraise him. Reborn could tell the teen was still uneasy regarding him, but he seemed to be trying. Finally, Tsuna spoke, “It’s….nice to meet you, Reborn-san.”

 

“Thank you. It’s nice to meet you too, Tsunayoshi,” Reborn replied, nodding his head at the teen.

 

“…Tsuna.”

 

“Pardon?”

 

“Please…call me Tsuna,” the boy repeated.

 

“Very well,” Reborn said. “Tsuna, then.”

 

The teen gave a small smile, and nodded at Reborn. Then, he spoke again, “I’m sorry, Reborn-san…I’m not comfortable with letting you into my room yet…”

 

“I understand,” Reborn replied. “Do you mind if I sit out in the hall, in front of your room?”

 

“That’s…” Tsuna started, then paused. His eyes flicked to his mother again, who smiled encouragingly at him. The brunet looked unsure, but spoke again, “That’s okay with me…but, it’s not very comfortable…And it’s rude to make a guest sit on the floor…”

 

“It’s alright Tsu-kun!” Nana chirped, her smile almost blindingly bright. “I’ll bring some cushions for Reborn-san to sit on! While I get them, why don’t you and Reborn-san get to know each other some more.”

 

“Okay, Mom,” Tsuna said, nodding his head. Nana walked off to fetch the mentioned cushions, a smile still on her face. Reborn didn’t move from his place in the doorway, something Tsuna was grateful for. The brunet appraised the man again. He could still feel emotions coming off the hitman in waves, but they were muffled, like someone had covered Tsuna’s meta-physical ears with earmuffs. He sent the hitman a tentative smile and spoke, “Reborn-san, will you play twenty questions with me?”

 

Reborn raised an eyebrow at the teen. While he’d have to answer the questions Tsuna posed, he would also be able to ask questions of his own. There were worse ways to gather intelligence he supposed. “Very well. Rules?”

 

“We take turns asking questions. We are allowed to refuse to answer a question. If we do refuse to answer a question, the person that asked is allowed to ask another one.”

 

“Agreed. How about you start?”

 

“Okay. Thank you,” Tsuna said. “Do you have a favorite animal?”

 

“…Chameleon,” Reborn replied, taken off balance by the innocent question. He was used to people trying to manipulate critical information out of him, not asking about his favorite animal. He watched the brunet closely, looking for any signs of deception. He saw the brunet flinch, and realized he was projecting again. The hitman took a deep breath, and calmed his mind down. “I…apologize. I’m not used to being asked such innocent questions.”

 

“Okay,” Tsuna nodded. He didn’t smile this time.

 

“And you? What’s your favorite animal?” Reborn asked. He figured he might as well start small. Any good grace he might have gotten by being approved by Nana, seemed to have been lost by his reaction to Tsuna’s first question.

 

“I’m fond of lions, but I think I like wolves the most,” Tsuna replied. “Do you have a favorite color?”

 

“Not particularly. I suppose I’m fond of yellow and black,” Reborn responded. “And your favorite color is?”

 

“Orange. Do you work for the same person as my father?”

 

“I don’t work for anybody. I’m a freelancer. The man your father works for hired me to be your tutor,” Reborn replied. Now they were getting into the interesting questions. “Do you know what business your father is in?”

 

“A little bit,” Tsuna replied, voice hesitant. “I know what he’s involved in is illegal, and that he works in Italy…”

 

“Here we are!” Nana suddenly reappeared, several cushions in her hands. She dropped them onto the hallway floor. “Please arrange them as you like, Reborn-san! Tsu-kun, I’ll be downstairs. If you need me, just call for me! And Reborn-san, please remember the ground rules.”

 

“Thank you, Nana-san,” Reborn said, nodding his head. He reached down and began arranging the cushions. “And I will always remember the ground rules. Especially rule number five.”

 

“Lovely! Play nice!” Nana chirped, before heading back down the stairs to the kitchen.

 

Reborn finished arranging the cushions so he could comfortably sit on the floor and lean his back against the wall. Once he sat down and got himself comfortable, he turned back to Tsuna and said, “Now, where were we?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, not very long, but I felt I stopped at a good place for this chapter. I hope the next chapter will be longer.


	4. Twenty Questions Again

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> More conversation between Tsuna and Reborn.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ground Rules:  
> One, don’t touch Tsuna’s bare skin.   
> Two, respect the initial boundaries he sets up with you.   
> Three, let Tsuna get to know you, and wait for him to approach you. If you come on too aggressively, you’ll just traumatize him further.   
> Four, you will discuss any lessons or plans you want to implement with Tsuna and me first, before going ahead with them.   
> Five, if you hurt my son – physically or mentally – I will not hesitate to bash your head in with my best cast-iron skillet

“You were asking me about my father’s work,” Tsuna supplied.

 

“Right. You said you had some knowledge of your father’s line of work?”

 

“Yes,” Tsuna replied, nodding his head. “I don’t know much, but based on the illegal nature of his work and the country he primarily works in, I can make an educated guess as to what he does. He’s part of the Italian Mafia, right?”

 

“Impressive. Yes, your father is the head of an organization that acts as external advisors to the main family,” Reborn replied. He then added, “Since that was less asking a question, and more requesting confirmation, please ask another question.”

 

“…What does my father and his boss want with me?” Tsuna asked, his voice a whisper. If Reborn hadn’t been using his Sum Flames to augment his hearing, he would never have caught what Tsuna was saying.

 

“Your father’s boss hired me to come here to train to take over the main organization, the main family. There were four heirs originally, but three of them were killed, and the fourth became ineligible when it was discovered he wasn’t blood related to the current head,” Reborn explained.

 

Tsuna looked at Reborn, brown eyes wide and horrified as he spoke, “My father wants me to become a criminal?”

 

“No. It is the hope of the current head, Timoteo, that you might bring the family back to its roots. The family was originally formed as a vigilante group, meant to protect those that couldn’t protect themselves from the corruption and the conflict at the time. However, the second head staged a coup that forced the first generation out. After that, the second head of the family turned it away from vigilantism and instead turned it into a criminal organization. Currently, the organization is regarded as the most powerful family in the entire underworld,” Reborn said. He could tell Tsuna was horrified at the idea of being the boss of a criminal family. Hopefully, being the boss of a vigilante family would be more palatable to the teen. “Now, since you asked two question in a row, may I ask two in a row of you?”

 

“Of course, Reborn-san,” Tsuna said.

 

“Thank you. I asked your mother this question earlier, but what is the range of your empathy?”

 

“…That’s a hard question to answer…” Tsuna began. “The closer someone is to me, the clearer their emotions are, and the farther away they are, the duller and fuzzier they are. But, if I’m specifically attuned to a person, I can feel their emotions even if they’re several miles away…It’s not like I can sense the whole world or anything, but if I had to make an educated guess, I’d say the range of my empathy is probably all of Namimori….”

 

“Interesting. That’s quite the range.”

 

“It is,” Tsuna agreed, nodding his head. “But it’s not like I can distinctly feel the emotions of every person in Namimori…It’s more like a faint buzzing at the edge of my mind…Like, something nagging you in the back of your mind that you keep ignoring. Learning how to meditate and build mental barriers to compartmentalize everything has helped prevent me from losing myself to other people’s emotions.”

 

“That’s good to hear,” Reborn said. Tsuna had a basis for filtering other people’s emotions, and Reborn could build on that. “My next question: Are there any people in Namimori you can be relatively close to, aside from your mother?”

 

“That…why do you want to know that?” Tsuna asked, his voice hesitant.

 

“Part of my duty as your tutor is to also find people to be a part of your family, people you can trust and feel comfortable having by your side. Normally, I’d scout out people on my own, and manipulate circumstances to bring you and them together, but considering the current circumstances, I thought it best to start with people you already feel comfortable around,” Reborn explained, his voice very matter-of-fact.

 

“…Will you tell them what you’re intending to drag them into?”

 

“In the mafia, there’s a thing called Omerta, a code of silence. Part of it says that civilians cannot know about the underworld unless they agree to commit their lives to being a part of the underworld,” Reborn explained, his voice slow and deliberate.

 

“I don’t want you to tell them everything,” Tsuna said. “But it’s not fair to drag people into something without giving them at least a vague idea of what it is your dragging them into…Especially when it’s going to have a lasting impact on their lives…”

 

“That-“ Reborn started to speak, but Tsuna cut him off, speaking again.

 

“I know life typically isn’t fair, and I don’t expect it to be, but I don’t have to add to the unfairness. The choice to follow me into the criminal underworld is one they won’t be able to change their minds about if they regret it later…And to mislead someone into devoting their life to the criminal underworld…” Tsuna’s voice drifted off as a shudder ran down his spine. Tsuna opened his mouth to speak again, when Reborn cut him off.

 

“Tsuna. Tsuna, calm down. I wasn’t going to reject your idea,” Reborn said. He watched the brunet with some amount of concern. The way Tsuna had shuddered when speaking about feelings of betrayal made Reborn wonder if the teen before him had experienced those feelings before, and whether or not the emotions had been his own or someone else’s. He filed the information away to consider later, and continued on, “It is possible to have an NDA, a non-disclosure agreement, generated that you could require potential family members sign before asking them to consider joining your Family…however, the language would have to be very precise and explicit. Additionally, we would have to get a seal of approval from the Vongola Nono as well as the Vindice.”

 

“…Vindice?”

 

“They’re essentially mafia police. They protect the rules and laws of the underworld, and those that break those laws are punished by the Vindice,” Reborn explained.

 

“…Would I have to meet them in person?” Tsuna asked, his voice small. Reborn could see the teen was shrinking into himself.

 

“For something like this, yes. Ideally, you would only need to meet them once, to formalize the final draft of the NDA, but the Vindice would require a face to face meeting with you to confirm you know exactly what language is in the NDA,” Reborn elaborated. He could tell Tsuna was apprehensive about such a thing, meeting more members of the mafia, and Reborn could certainly sympathize with Tsuna about that. Even he didn’t like the Vindice and avoided interacting with them at all costs. “The process of creating a mafia NDA will take quite some time, though. For now, my intention is just to find people you can actually handle being around, so a generic NDA can be used for now. If these people make the full commitment to join your Family, then we can have them sign a mafia NDA.”

 

“…So, you’ll promise to avoid involving people in the mafia as much as possible, for now?”

 

“Yes, Tsuna. I will do my utmost to keep you and any companions away from the mafia as much as is possible, for now,” Reborn confirmed nodding his head.

 

“…” For a moment, Reborn thought the teen wasn’t going to say anything further, but then Tsuna said, “…-Gawa-senpai…”

 

“I’m sorry?”

 

“I said, I’m okay with Sasagawa-senpai,” Tsuna repeated. “He created the high school’s boxing club. But even though he’s a boxer, he doesn’t feel violent to me…”

 

“What does he feel like?”

 

“Warm. Like the sun,” Tsuna replied. “His thoughts are typically very positive, and I’ve never felt any malicious intent from him. He can be a bit over-the-top sometimes, but he’s never been unkind to me when I couldn’t keep up with him. He’d just smile at me, and say I’ve gotten better since the last time he saw me. He knows I don’t react well to being touched, even if he doesn’t know the reason why, and he’s very good a respecting that boundary.”

 

By the time Tsuna had finished speaking, there was a small smile on his face. _Interesting_ , Reborn thought. “It sounds like he may be a Sun flame user, like myself.”

 

“Sun Flames?” Tsuna asked.

 

“Yes. There are seven different flame types: Storm, Sun, Lightning, Rain, Cloud, Mist and Sky,” Reborn said. “Each flame type has its own specific attribute. For example, Sun flames have the property of activation. Sun users are usually stereotyped as being healers or nurturers, but there are exceptions. From your description, I’d say there’s a good chance this ‘Sasagawa-senpai’ is a Sun user. Or, at least, has latent Sun flames. He always has a great deal of energy, right?”

 

“Yes,” Tsuna replied, nodding his head.

 

“It’s his latent Sun flames. They’re ‘activating’ him, so to speak, giving him large reservoirs of energy to draw on,” Reborn finished explaining. “Now, is there anyone else?”

 

“Well, Hibari-senpai is okay, sometimes…”

 

“Sometimes?”

 

“He’s not fond of people, and hates crowding. He gets violent when he sees people clustering together, and has no patience for people that break the laws of Namimori,” Tsuna elaborated. “He’s kind of distant, but he has saved me a number of times.”

 

“Saved you?”

 

“…Mama told you, before I stopped going to school that I was bullied. Hibari-senpai saved me from bullies several times. Since then, he’s saved me once or twice when I was getting overwhelmed by the emotions of people around me. Like I said, he doesn’t really like people or crowding with others, or being touched by others, but the few times I’ve gotten overwhelmed by people’s emotions, he willingly held my hand,” Tsuna began explaining. “I know it sounds counterintuitive, but something about his mind is soothing to me. Even though I can feel that he dislikes holding my hand, that’s about all I can feel. It’s like I’m being set adrift in the clouds. For being such a violent person, Hibari-senpai’s mind is amazingly peaceful…”

 

“How interesting. He sounds like a Cloud,” Reborn commented. “Clouds are commonly referred to as Drifting Guardians. They don’t always stay by their chosen Sky’s side, but should that Sky ever be in danger, a Cloud will be there to strike down that danger before their Sky is harmed. Clouds are also territorial. Once they decide something or someone is part of their territory, they will defend that territory with all that they are, even if it means their death.”

 

“That…sounds like Hibari-senpai,” Tsuna said, nodding his head as if to confirm his thought.

 

“Is there anyone else?”

 

“…No?”

 

“Are you asking or telling?”

 

“Well, I mean, the few times I’ve met Hibari-senpai’s uncle, I was okay around him, but he doesn’t stay in Namimori and visits irregularly,” Tsuna explained. “He’s very serene, his mind is almost like a pool of still water, but I can feel tides roaring deep underneath the surface. But, other than the people I’ve mentioned, there’s no one else I feel particularly comfortable around.”

 

“Alright, so we have Sasagawa-senpai, a Sun, and Hibari-senpai, a Cloud,” Reborn confirmed. Tsuna nodded at him. “Sounds like a promising start.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Can you guess who Hibari's uncle is? ;)

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! I hope you look forward to the next chapter.


End file.
